African 201: Introduction to African Literature

The novelist and Twitter maven Teju Cole suggests that African writing works a bit like a passport with a lot of entry stamps: “I’m comfortable being described as Afropolitan, or African, or American, or pan-African. Or Yoruba, or Brooklynite, or black, or Nigerian. Whatever. As long as the labels are numerous.”

Where, then, do we place the continent’s written languages themselves? That’s one of the central questions we address in AF 201, “Introduction to African Literature.” Beginning with the Malian epic tradition and ending with contemporary Portuguese writing in Mozambique, we’ll survey literature, films, and visual arts from Africa. Many guest speakers will join us to discuss their creative endeavors and their teaching on African topics.